Everyone get's a second chance
by Ava Brett
Summary: Human A/U - Castiel is pretty sure he's going crazy. At least he thinks he is, Dean is gone and yet Castiel is hearing his voice and seeing him in his dreams, only now Sam is experiencing the same thing and they can't both be going crazy can they? Castiel and Sam are determined to figure out what is going on before they lose Dean and their sanity for real. (Destiel, Sam/Anna)
1. It's finally time

Everyone gets a second chance

By

Ava Brett

Disclaimer

**None of the character mentioned in the below work of fiction belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.**

Author Note

**So its ' Everyone gets a second chance' turn to go through the intense reediting stage which several of my other stories has gone through, I know it slows the updates down as a whole but I feel its worth it. Once they have all been done then each and every story will be exactly where I want it to be which will make updating them a great deal easier. So a pain in the short term but definitely worth it in the long term.**

**So enjoy the new and improved chapter one **

Overall Summary

**Human A/U - Castiel is pretty sure he's going crazy. At least he thinks he is, Dean is gone and yet Castiel is hearing his voice and seeing him in his dreams, only now Sam is experiencing the same thing and they can't both be going crazy can they? Castiel and Sam are determined to figure out what is going on before they lose Dean and their sanity for real.**

Chapter Summary

**Castiel decides that its time to put his plan into motion…**

Overall Romance

**Castiel Novak/ Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester/Anna Milton**

Chapter Romances

**Mentions of Castiel Novak/Dean Winchester**

* * *

Chapter One

It's finally time

* * *

"Castiel, don't you think that this had gone on long enough now?" Castiel Milton's shoulders tensed up at the concerned words, he bit down hard on the inside of his cheeks, focusing his eyes on his half eaten bagel which he didn't even want as though it held all the answers in the universe.

"I don't know what you're talking about" he answered stubbornly. He could hear Michael sigh across the table from him, could already picture in his head the way his eldest brother would be reaching up and rubbing at the bridge of his nose, dark blue eyes raised to the ceiling as though he was asking for some sort of heavenly intervention to help him deal with one of his unruly siblings.

"You're not stupid Castiel, so stop acting as though you are, you know exactly what I'm talking about" Michael replied sounding frustrated. Castiel risked a glance up, wincing when he saw the look of pity and helplessness on the older man's face as he watched him. "Castiel you're gonna have to talk about him and what happened to him sometime. I don't care if you talk to me or to one of the others or even to a complete stranger. You just got to let it out, it's not healthy to keep things like this bottled up and it's definitely not what Dean would have wanted you to do. Dean would have-"

"Don't" Castiel warned, his voice shaking slightly as he met Michael's eyes. He lifted one hand up, pointing an unsteady finger at his brother. "You don't get to do this speech, you didn't even know him Michael, you were away the whole time and you can't just walk back into our lives, into my life and expect me to fall back in line. Dean is not a topic that you and I will ever speak of again, you understand?" he demanded, his voice rising with every word.

"Castiel? I-"Michael began to say, a stricken tone to his voice

"I said don't Michael" Castiel snapped back stopping Michael's words in their tracks

Castiel shook his head and jumped down from the stool which surrounded Michael's breakfast table. He swiftly gathered his coat and bag together trying to focus on keeping his breathing steady and his facial expression blank. The last thing he wanted was for Michael to realise how much his words had got to him.

The need to be out of Michael's perfect kitchen situated in his perfect house while his perfect wife and perfect children were somewhere in one of the other rooms overwhelmed him. He should never have allowed himself to be talked into coming for breakfast in the first place. He should have known that Michael would have had a reason behind the invitation, the same way he always did. Castiel knew that he was probably being harsh on his brother but he couldn't handle seeing how wonderful Michael's life had turned out while his had burned to ashes around him.

"Castiel" Michael said, coming to his feet in a swift movement, he was around the counter before Castiel had time to blink, his hand reaching out and grabbing Castiel's arm, the finger tips digging lightly into his skin as he stared at Castiel. "I'm sorry okay, I'm just worried about you, we all are. If you'd just listen to me for once, I can-"

"What help?" Castiel remarked with a bitter laugh as he wrenched his arm from Michael's grip. "Why can you bring the dead back to life now Michael? I knew you were talented but I didn't realise you were quite that blessed" he stated resentfully, he shook his head when he saw the pained expression which came to Michael's face at his words. "Look I'll call you later Michael, I've got work and I'll be late if I don't hurry. Thanks for the bagel."

Castiel turned and quickly left the room, thankful that Michael didn't attempt to follow him. He walked down the long hallway and slipped out of the front door into the fresh autumn air. The smells and sights should have been enough to relax him, the same way they had always done in the past when he had been upset, but all they were to him now was a sharp reminder of what he had lost and could never have back.

He swallowed, walking down the busy street, his mind fixed firmly away from the present and in the past, a past where he had been ridiculously happy because Dean had still been with him. Dean who had loved the autumn stating it was his favourite season of the year though he was never able to give a reason why that was, whenever Castiel had asked him why, Dean would simply smile at him and wink, reminding him that if he told Castiel everything about him self then Castiel would get bored and leave him. Castiel would always grin, pulling the younger man into a kiss as he reminded him for the hundredth time that there was no way in hell that he was leaving him.

It hadn't been anything new though; Dean rarely gave reasons for any statement he made. Sometimes when Castiel really pushed him for one he would eventually give him the same reason why regardless of the topic. He would meet Castiel's eyes with a steady look as though he was trying to figure him out before a wide smile would cover those kissable lips. He would shrug, reached out and touch a part of Castiel's face or neck and state that he believed it because it felt right to him.

The same way that it had felt right for Dean to quit his job as a mechanic to joined the armed services and become a Navy Seal.

The same way that it had felt right to Dean to leave them all behind and to go abroad to defend his country against their enemies when they had been crying out for men like him to fight for them.

The same way it had felt right for Dean to raise his brother alone when his mother and a few years later his father had died. Dean had been fourteen at the time, Castiel still didn't know how Dean had managed it and kept it a secret from the authorities but somehow he had because he had put his mind to it, the same way he had put Sam through college with no help from anyone.

And then of course there was the fact that it had seemed right to Dean when he had entered Castiel's bleak life and brightened it, to steal Castiel heart and soul for himself, taking them safety into his keeping so Castiel was ruined for anyone else. There could be no one else for him but Dean because no one else, even now, existed for him.

Castiel had been at home when Sam had come round to tell him that he had just received a visit from the army telling him that Dean was missing, presumed dead in Afghanistan. He had wanted to kill those army men that they had gone to Sam instead of him, he was the one who had lived with Dean the past six years, he was the one who had shared his life with Dean, he was the one who shared Dean's bed and body every night that Dean was home with them and yet that had meant nothing because they weren't married.

Sam had been a state, the amusing friendly man who was always so in control of his emotion who Castiel had met in the past gone in a fit of rage and grief which seemed to come out of every pore. The younger man screaming his woe to the world until his voice had eventually given out from the strain leaving him a crying heap on the sofa. Castiel had stood watching him blankly, he wanted to comfort Sam, wrap his arm around the taller man and hum him a lullaby at him the same way Dean had done when Sam had been hurt but he couldn't move. All he could do was stare at his love's younger brother and wish with every fibre of his body that it had been Sam who was missing or dead rather then Dean.

He had been instantly horrified by the thought but it had dug itself into his mind, constantly taunting him into questioning why everyone else was still here and happy and yet Dean was gone. How could they not feel it in the air? How could they smile and laugh? God he hated each and every one of them with a passion he didn't know he had possessed.

Castiel couldn't deal with it. Six months of crippling grief and pain had changed him. He could see the concern in the faces of his siblings, he could see the worry in Sam's face on the few times he had seen him but he simply ignored them all. How could they possibly understand how he felt? None of them had, had their soul mate handed to them, none of them had experienced what it felt to have that man's undying love and devotion focused on them, None of them had experienced the same level of love he had felt for Dean only to have it all ripped away from him in one small sentence. He could still hear Sam's voice echoing around his head.

_He's gone Cas, They say that Dean is probably dead, he's fucking gone_

Everything ceased to exist for him that day. He had spent his time planning carefully. He was going to move away from the constant memories; he would get away from the people who watched him daily wondering whether this would be the day that Castiel Milton lost his mind. Castiel would never give them the satisfaction of knowing just how deep his grief ran, they didn't need to know how shattered his soul and heart were inside him. Castiel would be strong the way that Dean would have wanted him to be.

All that was left to do now was to finally put his plan into motion.

It's what Dean would have wanted.

* * *

Author Note

**Thanks for taking the time to read :)**


	2. Think of it as a favour

Everyone gets a second chance

By

Ava Brett

Disclaimer

**None of the character mentioned in the below work of fiction belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.**

Author Note

**Here's the second chapter, reedited and everything.**

**I really love writing the dynamic between Gabriel and Castiel, I don't know why but I really enjoy it, its almost like writing Sam and Dean!**

**Great fun **

**Anyway please enjoy**

Overall Summary

**Castiel is pretty sure he's going crazy. At least he thinks he is, Dean is gone and yet Castiel is hearing his voice and seeing him in his dreams, only now Sam is experiencing the same thing and they can't both be going crazy can they? Castiel and Sam are determined to figure out what is going on before they lose Dean and their sanity for real.**

Chapter Summary

**Gabriel surprises Castiel with a gift…**

Overall Romance

**Castiel Novak/ Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester/Anna Milton**

Chapter Romances

**Mentions of Castiel Novak/Dean Winchester **

* * *

Chapter Two

Think of it as a favour

* * *

"Soooooo this is the place where you've decided to move to then?" Gabriel asked, raising an eyebrow as he slowly turned on the spot, his gaze lingering on certain places in the small department with a look of distaste in his amber eyes. "No offence or anything baby brother but this place is a complete and utter shithole. You can't seriously live here"

Castiel huffed out loud, glancing over his shoulder to glare at his older brother. He should have known better then to enlist Gabriel's help in this matter but he had been the only brother who had been willing to help him move. Michael was clearly still hoping that Castiel would come to his sense and realise that leaving would be the worst thing which he could do. Lucifer and Raphael had merely shaken their heads at him and told him that he was an idiot and to get on with it. Uriel was currently out of the country so probably had no idea what was going on and Balthazar was still in England doing god knew what. Gabriel had at least shown an interest in what Castiel was doing though now they were both here in the flat Castiel felt embarrassed.

Dean would have hated the place.

"It was all I could afford Gabriel" he stated stiffly, ducking his head and focusing his attention on opening the cardboard box in front of him.

"Well I did kinda figure that out for myself Cassie" Gabriel responded throwing an arm out to indicate the cracked paintwork which had clearly once been white. "No one would actually pick a place like this to live in willingly and if they did then they would seriously need both their eyes and head tested because they clearly would be crazy."

"If you're not going to help me unpack the boxes from the car then just leave, I can do it myself" Castiel snapped, his shoulders hunching defensively forward. There was a slight silence between them before Castiel heard Gabriel sigh to him self. The sound sad in the silent room.

"Are you desperate to do this Castiel? This whole moving away thing I mean?" he asked, his voice strangely serious lacking any sign of its usual mocking tone. Castiel straightened, twisting his body around in surprise so he could look at Gabriel's face.

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't Gabriel" he replied slowly.

Gabriel shook his head, running his hand threw his blond hair before he sighed, leaning down and picking up one of the boxes which Castiel had previously brought into the apartment.

"Follow me" he stated not waiting to hear whether Castiel obeyed him or not.

For a moment Castiel stood rooted to the spot in confusion trying to figure out where Gabriel was going before it sank in that Gabriel had taken a box of his possession, a box with Dean's things in it, with him. He growled under his breath and hurried out after Gabriel, grabbing his keys and jacket and slamming the door to the apartment behind him. He quickly locked it, looking down the hallway but Gabriel was gone. Castiel shoved the key into his pocket and walked down the hall way, out of the main door and into the fresh air, squinting slightly in the bright sunlight as he looked around him searchingly.

He spotted Gabriel casually lounging against the side of his yellow sports car looking down at his mobile phone. He glanced up, meeting Castiel's eyes for a moment before he pushed himself into a standing position, unlocking the car and climbing into the driving seats. He started the engine up and revved it clearly waiting for Castiel. Castiel glanced behind him at his new apartment building behind him before he breathed out noisily and walked down the steps heading towards the car silently cursing his brother in his mind. He walked behind the car and pulled open the passenger seat and slid in slamming the car door behind him.

"Not so hard Cassie, this baby deserves respect from everyone who rides in her" Gabriel remarked.

"Care to tell me what all of this is about?" Castiel demanded even as he pulled his seatbelt on. Gabriel wasn't exactly know for his adherence to the national speed limit.

"Nope, you'll have to wait and see won't you" Gabriel replied cheerfully, pushing the stereo button so music pumped into the car making it impossible to have a conversation with each other. Castiel watched his brother for a moment before he sighed and looked away, his gaze fixed on the zooming scenery. Experience had taught Castiel that it was completely and utterly pointless to try and get any information out of Gabriel is the other man considered it a secret or simply wasn't in the mood to share.

It was only ten minutes later when they pulled up outside a house in a much nicer area of the town. It was fairly small in size but it had a neat, compact look about it which almost gave it a cosy appearance about it.

"What's this exactly? Why are we here?" Castiel asked as he exited the car, closing the door a great deal more gently as his eyes flickered between the house and his brother.

"This old thing?" Gabriel said with an indifferent glance at the house, he looked back to Castiel, his eyes suddenly taking on a watchful gleam. "This is yours if you want it" he offered. Castiel frowned at him, looking back at the house.

"I can't afford a place like this Gabriel, not on my own" Castiel said flatly.

"Of course you can't, besides the place isn't for sale" Gabriel answered, rolling his eyes when he caught the look of confusion which came to Castiel's face. "This house belongs to me" he stated bluntly waving a hand towards it. "I saw it a few months back and decided that I wanted to for my self so I brought it. I'm gonna be based in New York for the next few months dealing with some business meaning this place is going to be sitting empty so since you're determined to live in this area you might as well use it."

Castiel stared blankly at Gabriel who huffed in annoyance, slapping his hands down on the roof of his car.

"I mean unless you prefer the shithole…"

"No" Castiel said quickly, "I'm just- it's just unexpected that's all" he said quietly. Gabriel watched him for a moment before he suddenly grinned widely at him.

"You baby brother are a Milton brother, you should know by now that we never do anything quite by the rules. Look its as simply as this, if you want it then its yours. I don't expect money from you for it but knowing you, you'll whine at me until I give in and accept your money just to have a quiet life. So lets save all the crap and say this. You pay me four hundred a month which includes everything and we'll call it quits. Its cheaper and better then that other dump and in this area you are seriously not going to get a better offer, so take it and lets move on from this sickening moment."

"I should pay you more-" Castiel began, stopping when Gabriel held up his hand.

"Just save it before I smack you" he said "Just think of it as house sitting for me. I'm not going to be moving in for a long time so you might as well benefit from my whim purchase. Better you then a stranger living here. At least I already know you're dodgy before you move in."

"Gabriel, I… I don't know what to say-"

"Thank god for that, if you don't know what to say then do us both a favour and say nothing at all" Gabriel responded with a grin. "I'm not into this emotional brotherly bonding moment which the rest of you seem to crave. If memory serves me right then you're a pretty decent cook aren't you? I'm pretty sure Dean telling me once that he taught you and since Dean was an awesome cook I assume you are as well." Gabriel said, ignoring the way Castiel flinched at the casual use of Dean's name. "Well then you can cook for me next time I'm in the area, and a good meal, no shit shove it in the microwave meal."

"I can do that" Castiel said quietly.

"Good, now shall we go and get your belongings from that other shithole and get you moved and settled in here? You can call the landlord on your mobile and let him know that he's gonna need to find someone else desperate enough to move into there… no offence of course" he remarked breezily noticing the look on Castiel's face at his words.

Castiel looked back at the house. He had always wanted a house like this one; both he and Dean had planned it together, deciding what they would do. Castiel could still do it; he could create their perfect house and then maybe, just maybe, Dean would be returned to him. They never found his body there was still a chance however slim it might be that Dean was out there somewhere and it was Castiel duty to have everything ready for him when he did make it home to him.

"Sounds good" he answered, a slight smile coming to his face.

He could make this work.

* * *

Author Note

**Thanks for taking the time to read **


	3. Voices

Everyone gets a second chance

By

Ava Brett

Disclaimer

**None of the character mentioned in the below work of fiction belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.**

Author Note

**Here's the third chapter for you!**

**I appear to be in a good writing mood today so hopefully it shall continue into the night!**

**Enjoy **

Overall Summary

**Castiel is pretty sure he's going crazy. At least he thinks he is, Dean is gone and yet Castiel is hearing his voice and seeing him in his dreams, only now Sam is experiencing the same thing and they can't both be going crazy can they? Castiel and Sam are determined to figure out what is going on before they lose Dean and their sanity for real.**

Chapter Summary

**Castel hears something he never thought he'd hear again….**

Overall Romance

**Castiel Novak/ Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester/Anna Milton**

Chapter Romances

**Mentions of Castiel Novak/Dean Winchester **

* * *

Chapter Three

Voices

* * *

If there was one thing which Castiel hated the most in the world then it was shopping.

Food shopping, shopping for any electrical equipment he might need, shopping for clothing, it didn't matter what kind it was he hated it. It seemed like such a mission for him, braving the crowds which suddenly turned normal people into possessed maniacs, having to sometimes resort to physically violence to get what he wanted against random strangers who suddenly wished him harm. Shopping was almost like going to war in his eyes.

Dean had always found that fact amusing, his large green eyes brightening as he laughed softly at Castiel's complaint, throwing an arm around his shoulders as he pushed Castiel into the crowded store with a soft kiss on his temple and a promise to come to his rescue if the crowds got too much for him.

That protection was gone now, now it was merely Castiel having to deal with it alone, the same way he was having to deal with most things alone these days.

He needed food desperately and since the one place in town which sold food didn't do home delivery it meant that he was going to have to go out and deal with it. It was either that or live on a diet of daily takeaway or restaurant food. As much as he was tempted by the thought of it he didn't think his bank balance would be able to sustain that sort of life style for very long.

Setting his shoulders, he pushed open the door of the store automatically glancing up at the sound of the bell above him before his gaze lowered, skirting around him and trying to take everything about the place in. It was a fairly big shop and thankfully nearly empty of other shoppers, he somehow doubted that he was going to have to end up getting into a fight here for anything. The few other shoppers who were in the store with him seemed calm and intent on their chore, none of them even bothering to look towards the doorway.

Castiel let out a small sigh of relief as his shoulders slumped down. He reached out and snagged a small basket before walking fully into the shop, beginning the thankless task of trying to find out exactly where everything he wanted was.

He was in the cold section when his mobile went off in his pocket. The ring tone was the theme from the A Team which Dean had put on as a joke; Castiel couldn't bear to change it so he had left it on even though hearing it was bittersweet, bringing up several painful memories.

Swallowing hard he flipped open the phone, breathing in to steady himself as he spoke absently into it.

"Castiel Milton" an amused feminine laugh met him.

"Wow, Uriel was actually right, you do answer your phone in that strange ass way. Who would have thought it. I'm gonna owe him a drink now!" Castiel felt a smile come to his face as he dropped a packet of ham into his basket.

"You know my mobile is my work phone as well Anna" he pointed out, pulling his shopping list out of his pocket and squinting at it. He had written it in a rush that morning and could barely make out what his own handwriting said.

"Of course it is" she replied brightly "And can I just say you sounded very professional when you answered it as well, I was highly impressed by it" she assured him with another laugh. "So anyway the reason I'm calling you baby brother is to see whether I can come and visit you? You're holed up at Gabe's new place in Ohio right?"

Castiel rolled his eyes at her comment.

He knew this would happen; all of his siblings would start talking to each other and decide between then that Castiel was going through some sort of emotional breakdown and that it was their sworn duty as his older siblings to see him through it which of course meant lots and lots of visits from them all. It didn't seem to enter their minds at all that perhaps Castiel had moved away from the Washington where they had all grown up for that very reason, because he in fact didn't have it in him to deal with all their concern and visits.

All he wanted to do was mourn, he didn't quite understand why everyone was having such a tough time grasping that small fact.

He opened his mouth to politely refuse her when he suddenly stopped. Anna had always been the most supportive of his relationship with Dean. She had welcomed the younger man into their family with open arms and had got on extremely well with him, well enough that sometimes the two of them would go out to watch a movie together if Castiel hadn't been in the mood. She had certainly grieved when she found out about his disappearance and supposed death. Castiel could remember her holding him during the dark days right after the news had been broken, trying to comfort him while trying to hide the fact that she was crying over Dean as well.

He let out a noisy breath and shrugged even though he knew she couldn't see him.

"Fine" he said "But I'm not going out in the evenings" he warned her "And I will be editing for the majority of the day time so you're going to have to entertain yourself while you're here."

"Come on Cas give me a little credit" the older woman scoffed. "I'm pretty sure I can entertain myself without my baby brother taking me around everywhere" she stated. "I just wanted to come and see you before my next job takes off."

Anna was a air hostess, working first class for a massive firm of aircrafts, the name of which always escaped him even though he knew they were famous. She was always jetting around the world often only back for a week or two at a time before she headed off to a brand new exotic destination.

"And when is that exactly?" he asked curiously.

"Three weeks time" she answered. "I booked another week off work for once, god knows they owe me enough holiday here. I don't think I've taken a day off since I've started."

"When are you planning on getting here?" Castiel queried.

"I should be there tomorrow, probably by late morning, mid afternoon" she said. "I'm driving down so I'll be leaving Raphael's in the next few hours or so. The good thing about my job is the fact that I'm always packed and ready to go at short notice. Oh and just so you know Cassie, I've turned vegetarian again" Castiel rolled his eyes.

"Again?" he said, turning and heading back towards the pasta aisle, swapping his meat flavoured pasta sauce for a vegetarian option.

"This time its for good" she stated. "You know Raph said exactly the same thing to me when I told him last night, its like none of you have any faith in me at all" she huffed sounding annoyed at the fact.

"Oh I have faith Anna" Castiel responded absently walking to the till area and joining the back of the queue "But you've got to admit that your track record is working against you in this. Isn't this the fourth time that you've turned vegetarian and each and every time you've gone back to meat. What's so different about this time around?" he pointed out, smiling at her small sound of outrage.

"I swear Cassie I had no idea that it was bacon in that sandwich I ate, I blame Lucifer, he tricked me. He knew what was in that sandwich when he handed it to me" she said.

"Yeah well that Luc for you isn't it, you should no better then to trust him when it comes to things like this" he said with a laugh. "Beside the smell of it should have tipped you off, nothing vegetarian smells remotely as good as cooked bacon. You know Anna you-"

"Thanks sweetheart" Castiel froze at the sound of the voice, his words trailing off as his eyes widened. The voice was smooth and warm sounding, sounding highly amused by something and was also highly familiar to him. There was no mistaking that husky voice, it was Dean's through and through. Castiel would have recognised it anywhere.

He moved to the side desperately trying to see past the people in front of him. The voice had been in front of him which meant that whoever had Dean's voice was probably at the head of the queue he had just joined, most likely taking his change while Castiel looked for him.

Castiel dumped his basket on the floor and began pushing his way to the front of the queue, ignoring the harsh words and sounds that erupted from the other shoppers behind him. He had to know who had that voice, the same voice he heard constantly in his head on a daily basis. He stopped at the front of the queue looking around him frantically.

Where had it gone? Had he missed the person? It had to be Dean, it had sounded just like him.

"Is everything okay sir?" he looked up seeing the cashier looking at him in concern. She was serving an old lady which meant that either Castiel had imagined the voice or he had literally just missed seeing him.

"I… I just need the toilet" he stated, the young woman raised a blond eyebrow at him before she pointed to the front of the store.

"The toilets are at the front of the store Sir" she said, Castiel nodded forcing a smile onto his face before he turned and hurried across to the front entrance, stepping out into the cool air before he looked around. There was no one but him self out side.

Breathing out in disappointment he lifted his mobile back to his ear.

"Cassie, Cassie, Cassie, Cassie, Cassie" his sister was chanting, concern in her voice.

"I'm here Anna" he said shakily.

"What happened? One minute you were talking the next you were gone" she demanded. Castiel swallowed.

"If I tell you then you're only going to think that I'm crazy" he said, he could almost picture Anna shrugging her slim shoulder as she responded.

"Well I've always thought you were crazy little brother, so I doubt there is anything you can tell me that will change that." Normally Castiel would have made a comment about how he had learnt it all from the best but this time he merely took another deep breath.

"I've just heard Dean's voice in the store. Out loud"

There was a heavy silence.

"Anna?" he said

"I'm on my way" Anna stated, Castiel didn't have any time to respond before the sound of the dial tone reached his ear. He lowered the phone, casting one more look around the car park before he entered the store and headed back to the cashier where he had left his basket of food.

One thought twirling around his mind.

Was he actually going crazy or was that really Dean's voice he heard?

* * *

Author Note

**Thanks for taking the time to read **


	4. Enter the cavalry

Everyone gets a second chance

By

Ava Brett

Disclaimer

**None of the character mentioned in the below work of fiction belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.**

Author Note

**I wanted to write a story where Castiel's siblings were actually pretty awesome to him for once and this is definitely the story for that. It's fun writing them being protective of Cas, all of them wanting him to be okay and determined to help him through the situation anyway they can!**

**Enjoy!**

Overall Summary

**Castiel is pretty sure he's going crazy. At least he thinks he is, Dean is gone and yet Castiel is hearing his voice and seeing him in his dreams, only now Sam is experiencing the same thing and they can't both be going crazy can they? Castiel and Sam are determined to figure out what is going on before they lose Dean and their sanity for real.**

Chapter Summary

**Castiel receives two visitors…**

Overall Romance

**Castiel Novak/ Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester/Anna Milton**

Chapter Romances

**Mentions of Castiel Novak/Dean Winchester**

* * *

Chapter Four

Enter the cavalry

* * *

Castiel wasn't sure how long exactly he had sat on the chair staring blankly into the distance in front of him. Everything was just confusing to him. He didn't quite know how he had managed to get home from the shop or even if he had put his shopping away before he had eventually made it here. He could remember dropping his weary body onto the sofa and simply switching off, unable to think of anything other then the voice he had heard at the shop.

It had been Dean's voice he had heard there; he would be willing to stake his life on the fact.

And yet at the same time how could it possibly be his voice? Why would Dean be here in a small town in Ohio? Surely if he was still alive and had somehow made it back to the States then the first place he would have gone to was home, home to where both Castiel and Sam had been waiting for him. He would probably have some heroic story to tell them, ignoring any residual pain he might have been feeling from his injuries and just thankful to be back with them except that had never happened. Dean had never returned to them so why was Castiel hearing Dean's voice?

The only thing he was completely sure of was the fact that he had heard Dean's voice which led him to only two possible answers which could explain it. Either Castiel had heard Dean's voice which meant that his lover was here, in the same town as him and he just needed to find him or it meant that Castiel was losing his mind and hearing voices.

He had heard of that happening before to people. The individual in question would go through some sort of traumatic event which would eventually lead to them experiencing an emotional breakdown of some description. Some times it would only happen a few months after the initial trauma, triggered by something else which send the whole fragile façade of being okay crumbling down around them. He supposed it was perfectly reasonable to assume that moving to a completely new part of the country which he had never even step foot in before could be seen as secondary trauma which in turn could have easily led to him hearing Dean's voice and yet… yet Castiel knew what he had heard and he felt completely sane if slightly shell shocked. Surely if it was a case of him losing his mind then he would still be hearing Dean's voice instead of being surrounded by a heavy silence only broken by the odd creak from where the house was settling around him.

If he wasn't crazy then that could only mean that Dean was here and if Dean was here then Castiel would find him and they would be together again just like it was meant to be. It would be perfect; they could buy the house off of Gabriel and do it up exactly as they had planned in the past.

He blinked at the sound of the doorbell, the noise shrill making him wince. He glanced up at the clock, his eyes widening in surprise. How the hell could it already be eight PM? That meant he had been sitting in the same spot for the past five hours. He forced him self to his feet, stretching his arms above his head trying desperately to loosen his stiff muscles before he began shuffling to the front door.

He swallowed realising he was incredibly thirsty before he opened the door. Castiel saw a brief flash of bright red before Anna threw herself into his arms, holding him tightly to her.

"Cassie" she said soothingly, her arms tightening around here. "I got here as quickly as I could, I tried calling you but you didn't pick up, I must have left you like five voicemails. Is your mobile dead or something?" she demanded, pulling back to stare at him through concerned dark eyes as one slim hand came up to cup his cheek.

"How did you get here so quickly?" Castiel asked curiously, stepping out of Anna's embrace and crossing his arms across his chest. "Did you run out and hire a car or something? You said on the phone earlier that you would be here tomorrow afternoon or late morning" Anna opened her mouth to answer but a deeper, gruff sounding voice beat her to it.

"She didn't hire a car, I drove her here my self Castiel" Castiel blinked, looking passed Anna and meeting Raphael's dark brown eyes. His older brother looked calm as usual, his black hair looking slightly windswept making Castiel wonder how fast the pair of them had driven to get here this quickly.

"Raphael" he said, surprised when Raphael stepped forward, dropping a comforting hand on his shoulder and briefly squeezing before letting go. His brother remained silent for a moment, tilting his head to the side as he watched Castiel's face with a considering look before he spoke.

"Anna was concerned for you" he said raising a questioning eyebrow at him. Castiel shot Anna a quick look.

"I don't know why" Castiel answered. "I'm fine, just getting settled in here that's all"

"You know me Raph, I'm always concerned about Cassie" Anna added brightly, a smile on her face which looked slightly forced to Castiel "He is the baby of the family, it's my duty to be concerned over everything he does, especially as he's the only one who is younger then me."

Raphael looked unconvinced, merely shrugging his broad shoulders in response and looking awkwardly around him, his eyes lingering on the art work which was on the wall.

"I can see that Gabriel had time to decorate and put his personal stamp on the place before he gave you the house" Raphael pointed out in amusement, indicating the pictures of naked women in various poses, Castiel glanced at them feeling his face flush.

"I'm going to be taking them down" Castiel remarked in embarrassment. "I've just got to pick something out to replace them with otherwise it's going to look too bare." Raphael shrugged his shoulders again.

"You don't have to explain yourself to me baby brother" he commented mildly "This is your house now after all, you can do whatever you want with it. It's your choice."

"Are you driving home tonight or do you need a place to stay? Castiel asked changing the subject swiftly. Raphael seemed to consider his question before he answered.

"If you have enough room for me to stay then I won't say no" he said. "I've got to leave early in the morning but I don't think I can face another five hours in the car right now."

"There's always room for you Raph" Castiel assured him, Raphael nodded flashing Castiel a crooked smile which made him look years younger.

"Where's your bathroom Cassie?" he asked, Castiel twisted round and pointed up the stairs.

"Head upstairs, it's the second door on the right" Castiel directed. Raphael nodded, sparing them both another smile before he climbed the stairs and disappeared from view, the minute he was gone Castiel stepped forward, grabbing Anna's arm tightly in his hand. "Did you tell him about Dean's voice?" he demanded.

Anna looked surprised by the question before she shook her head.

"No" she said sounding outraged. "Of course I didn't, I'm not stupid Cassie. I love Raph don't get me wrong but he's not exactly the kinda person you would speak to about something like this" she pointed out before she looked at him carefully, her eyes moving over his features. "Cassie are you sure you heard-"

"I know what I heard" he said sharply. "I know it sounds insane but it was him Anna, I don't get why but for some reason Dean is here. I can just feel him and I definitely heard him. I could never forget the sound of his voice."

Anna nodded her head, breathing out noisily as her gaze flickered to the staircase to make sure that Raphael was still preoccupied in the toilet.

"So what exactly are you planning on doing?" she asked cautiously. Castiel met her eyes.

"I'm going to find Dean and I'm going to bring him home and you're gonna help me"

* * *

Author Note

**Thanks for taking the time to read **


	5. Dreams

Everyone gets a second chance

By

Ava Brett

Disclaimer

**None of the character mentioned in the below work of fiction belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.**

Author Note

**Here's the next chapter, it's probably going to bring up loads more questions but answers will eventually come, I promise.**

**Enjoy!**

Overall Summary

**Castiel is pretty sure he's going crazy. At least he thinks he is, Dean is gone and yet Castiel is hearing his voice and seeing him in his dreams, only now Sam is experiencing the same thing and they can't both be going crazy can they? Castiel and Sam are determined to figure out what is going on before they lose Dean and their sanity for real.**

Chapter Summary

**Sometimes when we dream, we discover things we didn't think were possible…**

Overall Romance

**Castiel Novak/ Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester/Anna Milton**

Chapter Romances

**Mentions of Castiel Novak/Dean Winchester **

* * *

Chapter Five

Dreams

* * *

Castiel yawned, stretching out against the soft mattress beneath him with a sound of sheer contentment before he slowly looked up; looking around the white bedroom groggily with a look of growing confusion on his face as he slowly pushed himself off of the bed and to his feet.

The last thing he could remember from the night before was falling asleep on the sofa with Anna resting against his shoulder, snoring lightly. They had put a movie on while Raphael had taken care of the food by ordering them all a large Thai takeaway, waving away Castiel's money when he had offered to give him something to it, telling him to consider it as a housewarming present instead. The topics of conversation had stared firmly on neutral ground with no mention of Dean which Castiel had been beyond thankful for, instead they had talked about their various siblings, their jobs and what exotic countries Anna had visited and what she planned to do while she was visiting Castiel and who else she was planning to see while she was safely on land.

Castiel had assumed that Anna had gone along with the conversation because deep down she didn't want to contemplate the fact that her little brother might very well be crazy and was hearing the voice of his missing lover while on the phone to her in a supermarket. The fact he had up and left, moving far away probably hadn't helped his case in trying to convince her that he was as sane as he had always been.

Raphael must have managed to stay awake and had probably taken pity on the both of them, carrying them up the stairs and dumping them on the bed in their respective rooms. Castiel could have kissed him; he had fallen asleep once on that sofa and the ache and pain he had endured the next day had ensured that he would never again make that mistake.

Shaking his head, he rubbed at his eyes, yawning again before he headed to the doorway, opening it and slipping out into the hallway. He was surprised by how quiet the house was, the clock on the wall stated that it was just past ten and the glimmer of sunlight he could see out of the windows would indicate that it was morning. He wasn't sure about Anna but he knew for a fact that Raphael was a morning person so where was he? Had he left already without saying goodbye? It was unlikely but still possible if Raphael had somewhere to be and hadn't wanted to wake him.

Shrugging he made his way to the kitchen intent on making himself a cup of real coffee before he started editing the new book the publishing firm he worked for had sent him.

He opened the door and stepped in, freezing on the spot. He felt as though he couldn't breath as the air caught in his throat, his eyes widening as he made a small pained sound, almost a whine from the back of his throat.

It couldn't be. There was simply no way that it could be possible. He had to be dreaming.

"I wondered when exactly you would get your ass out of bed and get here; I was beginning to think that you would keep me waiting all night for you."

Castiel stared blankly at Dean, his eyes drinking in every detail of him greedily. He looked well, tall and more muscled then Castiel remember, his pale skin was tanned golden by the sun making small adorable freckles erupt across his straight nose and high cheekbone. His hair was shorter and blonder then Castiel had seen it in a while, Dean knew that Castiel liked his hair slightly longer so he could twirl it around his fingers so he tried to grow it out for him a bit when he was home visiting him. He licked his lips at the sight of him, his heart warming when Dean gave him a fond smile, his perfect white teeth flashing in the light.

Castiel took a step towards him, unable to stop him self when he met the warm green eyes which were focused on him as though nothing else existed for him, he had missed that look more then he could say. He reached out to him, surprised when Dean moved back out of his reach with a shake of his head and a look of regret coming to his face.

"Dean, you're here" he managed to say, his voice barely above a whisper. Dean nodded, his expression softening.

"Yep the one and only" he teased softly. "But you know you're dreaming all of this Cas right? It's real but it's not real. I'm not here in the kitchen though I must say I like the place, it's exactly like we planned, I hope you're waiting for me here Cas, it's nice to think I've got something waiting for me." Castiel nodded his head, frowning slightly when Dean moved out of his reach again. If this was his dream like Dean said it was then surely he should have been the one with control over it, in which case Dean should be in his arms, his lips under his while Castiel proceeded to kiss the life out of him. If he could only see Dean in his dreams then Castiel hoped he spent the rest of his life asleep.

"Gabriel gave it to me" he said "Or at least to look after for him" Dean smiled.

"Gabriel was always one of my favourites though he could be a dick at times"

"I don't care about Gabriel now" Castiel said "I don't care that this is a dream Dean" Dean chuckled, shaking his head.

"Still as stubborn as ever I see. You should care that this is a dream Cas" Dean replied firmly. "Aren't you even the tiniest bit curious about why I'm suddenly here with you in this kitchen in our house? A house I've never seen before?"

Castiel frowned in confusion, finally dropping his hand from reaching for Dean.

"You've already said this is a dream" he said carefully. This had never been how his dreams with Dean had gone before. Dean had certainly never been this chatty; normally he was too busy ripping Castiel's clothes off of him to worry about talking. "You're in all my dreams Dean"

Dean sighed, ducking his head as a pained look came to his face.

"I'm so sorry my love" he said gently. "This whole thing was never meant to happen you know. The whole going missing thing, I know that you're going though agony and it's all my fault. You're all I can remember you know" he said, Castiel wanted to look away from him but he couldn't, all he could do was stare at Dean, his heart pounding against his chest as the sound of Dean's endearment, the one no one else knew about, being said to him again. He thought he would never hear it from him again.

"We knew there was a chance that you would die out there when you went to war Dean. You told me often enough trying to prepare me in case the worse did happen. It's not your fault that I refused to believe you" he said lowly, swallowing hard as he dropped his eyes to stare at the floor beneath his bare feet. There was a second silence before Castiel's eyes shot back up as he felt Dean's hands gently frame his face, green eyes staring fiercely into his making his breath catch in his chest.

"That's just the thing Cas" he said, his fingertips tightening on Castiel's skin. "I'm not dead, I'm still alive"

Castiel frowned, ignoring the way his heart was beating in his chest. God he had missed hearing Dean's voice and having his hands on him, he missed being this close to him. He reached up, one hand wrapping round the back of Dean's neck, the other resting lightly against his hip, gripping it lightly. He leaned closer, so close that he could see the flecks of gold in Dean's eyes and he could count every one of those stupidly long lashes which framed the other man's eyes.

"Missing then, whatever it is you're here now" he said shrugging his shoulders, he tilted his head to the side, lips about to touch Dean's when the younger man shook his head moving his head back slightly.

"Cas I don't have much time and as much as I'd love to stand here all night and make out with you, and trust me I seriously would, I need you to listen to me, I need you to believe that this is much more then a dream and I seriously need you to believe everything I'm about to tell you okay?"

Castiel frowned; a feeling of unease growing in is stomach. Something wasn't right with this whole scenario.

"Dean" he said roughly. "What are you talking about, this isn't how my dreams go normally and that's all this is, a dream. You aren't really here you're either dead or you're in Afghanistan somewhere probably wishing you were dead, you aren't-"

"I'm somewhere in the USA Cas" Dean interrupted harshly. "Yeah this is just a dream but you're here and I'm here and its real, we really are talking to each other. Jake said this could happen and if I did what he said and I was patient then eventually I would be skilled enough to bridge the gap between us" Dean breathed out nosily, the warm air brushing against Castiel's mouth causing him to shiver, a look of frustration came to Dean's eyes as he continued to speak. "I know I'm not making much sense because nothing is making much sense to me at the moment but this conversation is happening Cas, its not a dream in the conventional sense of a dream, think of it like out subconscious minds are meeting. I know you normally don't believe in all this shit but I seriously need you to believe now. I've tried reaching Sam but he's too far away from me still but you aren't far away my love, I can reach you which means you must be a lot closer to me. Wherever you've moved to I must be close by, it's the only way this would work."

"If you're in the USA then where are you?" Castiel demanded. "Why haven't you come home to me where you belong? Beloved I need you" a look of pain crossed Dean's face as his hands tightened on Castiel's face, his thumbs dragging down the skin in a rough caress.

"Do you think if I wouldn't have come to you if it was possible?" Dean demanded "Damn it Cas, you know me better then that by now. I fucking love you, only you. There's no one else for me, you get that right? Nothing has changed between us except the fact I miss you"

"Then why-"Castiel began, stopping when Dean interrupted him again, a trace of anger coming to his voice.

"Because I don't know where I am Cas only that I'm somewhere in the states. I can't gather my thoughts together when I'm awake, I can't even remember my own surname, all I get is these flashes, normally of you and the time we spent together and then there's nothing, just darkness which seems to go on forever. Something has happened to me and I don't know what it is only that I need you Cas."

"Dean-"

"I think I'm waking up Cas" Dean said looking to the side of him with a frown before he turned his gaze back to Castiel, a pleading, desperate look coming to his face. "You've got to find me and bring me home. Bring me back to you and Sam where I'm meant to be. I don't belong with this other man, I know I don't. I only belong with you."

Castiel tightened his grip on the back of Dean's neck, unwilling to let him go.

"What other man? Who has you? Dean-" he began, stopping when Dean crashed their lips together in a desperate longing kiss. Castiel gasped, feeling Dean's tongue stroke his lower lip before the pressure was gone and Castiel was standing alone in the kitchen, panting hard and looking around him with a desperate expression "Dean? DEAN!"

Castiel shot up in his bed, breathing hard as he looked around him.

What the hell was that?

* * *

Author Note

**Thanks for taking the time to read **


	6. Plans

Everyone gets a second chance

By

Ava Brett

Disclaimer

**None of the characters mentioned in the below piece of fiction belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes**

Author Note

**Here's the next chapter, the plot is beginning to get under way now so please stick with it. I've lots of plans for this story and it will feature both dark and fluffy bits in it. It's just a bit dark at the moment… but that will eventually change.**

Overall Summary

**Castiel is pretty sure he's going crazy. At least he thinks he is, Dean is gone and yet Castiel is hearing his voice and seeing him in his dreams, only now Sam is experiencing the same thing and they can't both be going crazy can they? Castiel and Sam are determined to figure out what is going on before they lose Dean and their sanity for real.**

Chapter Summary

**Castiel comes up with a plan to see whether he's losing his mind or not…**

Overall Romance

**Castiel Novak/ Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester/Anna Milton**

Chapter Romances

**Mentions of Castiel Novak/Dean Winchester **

* * *

Chapter Six

Plans

* * *

"Cassie? Castiel are you awake?"

Castiel dragged his eyes open, blinking in the dark as he tried to gain his bearings. He felt cold and shaky as though he had a heavy weight pressed down on him.

"Anna?" he said, his voice deep and gruff with sleep. He twisted his head on the pillow, frowning when he saw it was still early, only seven o clock in the morning according to the red numbers on his bedside clock. He reached up and rubbed tiredly at his eyes with his hand. Flashes and images of his dream flooding his mind, he could hear Dean's voice pleading with him as though the man was lying next to him, whispering in his ears like he used to.

"Yeah it's me, are you okay though?" she demanded sounding worried, her fingers tightening their grip on his upper arm where she had obviously grabbed him to shake him awake.

"What?" he responded, his brain feeling fuzzy, trapped somewhere between awareness and sleep. The last thing he remembered was waking up covered in sweat with Dean's name on his lips after the strange dream he had. He had thought he would be awake for the rest of the night but clearly his exhaustion had been too much and he ended up falling asleep again.

"I asked if you're ok Cassie" Anne pressed again. "You were crying out in your sleep like you were having a nightmare or something, a really bad one from the sound of it, you sounded like… like I don't know your soul was dying."

Castiel shrugged, sitting up and forcing Anna to scoot back so he didn't smack into her. He brought his knees up, wrapping his arms around them before he lowered his forehead resting it against them and taking a deep breath. His lips tingled as he remembered the fierceness and desperation in Dean's kiss. The dream kisses he had experienced before had never been like that; they had always been slow and long, time take for exploration not quick and almost brutal in intent as though Dean had thought deep down that it could be the last kiss they shared with each other.

"Cassie you're seriously worrying me, are you ill? Do you need me to get Raph for you? He's a Doctor he might know what the hell to do" Anna remarked.

"No" Castiel stated sharply, lifting his head and looking at her in the faint light. It was still fairly dark outside but he could still see the glimmer of red hair surrounding a pale face. He could even make out the gleam of her dark eyes against the darkness surrounding her. "Don't get Raphael. I'm fine Anna I promise" he assured her. "It was just a stupid nightmare like you said, I… I get them a lot now" he confessed with a shrug.

"Oh Cassie" Anna breathed, letting go of his arm as she knelt down beside him on the mattress and wrapped her arm around his shoulder. "I know it doesn't seem like it now one day everything will be bearable, it won't be okay, nothing will probably be okay for you again but you'll be able to find some joy and pleasure in life which will make life worth living again. I promise you" she said tightening her hold around him for a moment before she let go, sliding off the bed and getting to her feet. "I'm gonna go and make us some egg and bacon and some fresh coffee for breakfast, I don't know about you but I'm starving this morning. You get up and shower and do whatever else it is that you do in the mornings. Raph said he was leaving around about ten so we can all eat breakfast together for once"

"I didn't know you could cook" Castiel remarked, a small smile coming to his face.

"There you go with the whole disbelief thing again, I'm a great cook I'll have you know Castiel. Just because you suck don't assume that everyone else in the family does as well. I mean hells if Dean couldn't teach you to cook then you're simply hopeless because he is the master. Saying that though, you haven't lived until you've tried one of Gabriel's cakes, he rarely does it but man when he does it is seriously worth it, that man can bake!"

"I'll take your word for it" Castiel answered, ignoring the sharp stab of pain he felt at her reminder of Dean. He watched as his sister left the room without another word to him, pulling the door shut behind her and leaving him in silence. He stared at the closed door for a moment before he forced himself to his feet, his movements slow and awkward as though his body had forgotten how to move properly during the night. He went into the small en suite turning the light on and looked up staring at himself in the mirror above the sink.

God he looked awful. His skin pale, his eyes heavy and listless. He looked like a man who was literally having his soul sucked out from him on a daily basis, no wonder Anna had been concerned over him. If Dean could see him now then he would have been horrified by his appearance. Castiel would have had to endure lecture after lecture from the younger man on how he needed to look after him self better.

Castiel felt a small smile come to his face as he imagined the nagging tone Dean would have used in his head. Of course Dean would have denied that he was nagging Castiel because if he was the one who was always nagging him then it would have made him the wife in their relationship and Dean had always been adamantly against that though everyone else had decided within minutes of meeting them that Dean was.

Shaking his head Castiel gripped the cool sink.

Was that dream actually real or was he just so desperate to hear and see Dean that his mind had conjured the whole thing up? He had heard of it happening before, the minute he had gone through his first little breakdown Michael had been down in the library reading up on everything he could find on the matter so he would be able to help Castiel cope with it all and just be there for him.

A small shot of guilt went through him. He had spoken to any of his brother's recently except for Raphael and that was only because Raphael had turned up at his door. He hadn't even spoken to Gabriel after he had given him the house. He had no excuse; it wasn't as though he was overwhelmingly busy at the moment. Sometimes he would simply gaze into space for hours at a time, thinking of Dean and wondering where the younger man was and whether he was actually thinking about him or not.

Castiel hadn't even spoken to Sam. Dean would never forgive him for that, it had been the one thing that he had made Castiel promise him every time he went off on a mission. That is something happened to him Castiel would take care of Sam, making sure that his brother was coping with the loss and that he was okay. Castiel hadn't been doing a great job of that, instead it had been Sam having to support him.

He would have to make sure he rang them all today; it wasn't fair of him to make them all worry so much over him. For a moment he considered telling Sam about his dream but he quickly dismissed the idea. Sam was the only other person apart from perhaps Anna who believed that Dean was alive somewhere out there. To give him false hope was simply cruel and Castiel couldn't be cruel to Sam, not when he knew how much the other man had meant to Dean.

He looked up and met his dark blue eyes in his reflection, watching as they narrowed thoughtfully.

Dean had said that he had tried to contact Sam but that Sam was too far away from him to be reached and yet Castel hadn't been. Perhaps he should invite Sam to visit him. God only knew that Sam's job as a Defence lawyer was stressful enough; he could probably use the break. Maybe if he did then Sam might experience a similar dream. If he did then Castiel would know once and for all whether he was crazy or not.

He would simply keep it quiet until Sam mentioned something to him because he was sure Sam would. The younger boy was always saying that Castiel was the only one he could talk to in regards to Dean because no one else understood Dean like they did. If he invited him around this weekend then Anna would still be here and they could entertain each other.

Castiel nodded to him self, feeling a flood of purpose and determination go through him.

This was bound to work he was sure of it.

* * *

Author Note

**Thanks for reading!**


	7. Keep in touch

Everyone gets a second chance

By

Ava Brett

Disclaimer

**None of the characters mentioned in the below piece of fiction belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.**

Author Note

**Time to swing across to Sam's point of view I feel.**

**The chapters will now begin to move between the main characters so we get a different perspective about the story. I know a lot of you are wondering whether Cas is crazy but you'll soon find out.**

Overall Summary

**Castiel is pretty sure he's going crazy. At least he thinks he is, Dean is gone and yet Castiel is hearing his voice and seeing him in his dreams, only now Sam is experiencing the same thing and they can't both be going crazy can they? Castiel and Sam are determined to figure out what is going on before they lose Dean and their sanity for real.**

Chapter Summary

**Sam receives a call from Castiel…**

Overall Romance

**Castiel Novak/ Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester/Anna Milton**

Chapter Romances

**Mentions of Castiel Novak/Dean Winchester **

* * *

Chapter Seven

Keep in touch

* * *

Sam Winchester missed his brother Dean more then anything.

He missed his laughter, his missed his voice, he missed his stupidly large grin and the way his green eyes sparkled with a sheer love of life which few people seemed to possess in his experience. It was as though his brother lived off of emotions, always moving between them like there was no tomorrow and he had nothing to lose from it, only for Dean there was no tomorrow, there was never going to be another tomorrow for him again if he was dead.

Sam swallowed deeply, blinking back the tears which threatened to escape his control. He thought that time was meant to make losing someone easier to cope with. That was what all the Doctors and agony Aunts columns in the newspaper had stated. They had all agreed that if you accepted your pain and allowed your self to grieve for the person who had died then life would once again become bearable.

Only it wasn't becoming bearable for Sam, if anything it was growing worse with each passing day as though it was threatening to consume him from the inside.

He tapped his pen against his paper, looking down at the case which he was meant to be prepping for court. He was due to be in court five within the next ten minutes and he already knew before he had stepped in the door that this case was already lost. No jury would find his client innocent once they heard the evidence which had been complied against him. Hell even Sam didn't believe he was innocent and he normally tried to find something in his clients worthy to fight for, there was absolutely nothing good in his client, the guy was a dickhead and he quite frankly deserved what was coming to him in Sam's mind.

It wouldn't be his fault, when he arrived back at the office, the others would simply clap him on the shoulder and shrug their shoulders telling him to move onto the next case. There were simply some people in this world that you couldn't defend no matter how hard you worked on those cases. Some people were simply destined to be in prison or to end up in the electric chair

Dean had never understood how Sam could stand up in a court in front of a man who represented the justice system and defend criminals who in Dean's eyes deserved everything they got.

Sam could still picture sitting in his brother's old kitchen discussing one of his upcoming cases which he had been due to defend that same week. He had made the mistake of telling Dean and Castiel that he knew deep down that the guy was guilty of murder but that he was still going to try and get the charge dropped to manslaughter and failing that convince the jury that he couldn't possibly have done it.

The look of disbelief that Dean had given him caused a bittersweet smile to come to his face as he remembered. His brother had let loose, ranting about the corrupt justice and how he couldn't believe that Sam was helping it. Castiel had stood up, walking over to where his brother had been leaning against the cabinet and kissed him into silence, telling Dean to be supportive of Sam's job choice. Dean had looked sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck as he apologised to Sam for being such a jerk but Sam had waved it off.

He had always liked the fact that Dean had such strong opinions over thing, strong enough that he would get passionate over it. Sam liked to think that it was where he had picked it up from; it would make sense since Dean had been the one to raise him. Pushing him self to his limits to try and give Sam everything he needed in life.

Life had always been so black and white to Dean; right was right and wrong was wrong. He refused to believe in anything else. It had been one of the main reasons why he had joined the marines in the first place because he had believed not only in what the marines stood for but also for what the war stood for, a belief which might have led to his death.

If only Dean had been able to see shades of grey then maybe, just maybe he would be here with Sam, at the end of a phone willing and able to talk, and this empty feeling within Sam would be gone once and for all.

Sam's mobile went off attracting his attention away from his dark thoughts. He fished it out of his black suit trouser pocket and glanced down at the ID which was flashing up at him. His eyebrow rose disappearing into his long fringe when he realised that it was Castiel calling him, or at least someone who was using his phone.

"Hey Cas" he answered eagerly. He hadn't heard from the man who had been as good as his brother in law since he had moved away. Sam understood why Castiel had felt he had to move, he had only been surprised that it had taken the older man so long to do it in the first place. Sam doubted he would have been able to stay in that apartment for longer then a hour, not with all the memories of Dean each room would have held and the fact all his belongings were there.

"Hello Sam" Castiel answered in his familiar gruff voice, it always sounded as though Castiel was in need of a throat sweet when he spoke but Sam had known that Castiel's voice had been the first thing which had attracted Dean to him, he wondered whether Castiel had ever known that. The other man sounded tired and weary over the phone but Sam doubted that he sounded any better then him. "How have you been?"

Sam felt a wry smile come across his face at the loaded question and shrugged, forgetting that Castiel couldn't see him over the phone.

"I'm surviving" he said "You know taking each day as it comes and trying to carry on working and socialising like Dean would have wanted me to do, he was all about carrying on with things when they go wrong" he said quietly aware that Castiel remained silent after the comment. "Anyway how have you been Cas, it's been a while since we last spoke"

"Yes" Castiel answered slowly. "I'm sorry I haven't been in touch with you recently Sam, I've been busy with the move and trying to get our new house ready. It's been quite the challenge."

"It's okay Cas, moving is a big time consuming thing to do" Sam answered, a sad smile coming to his face when he picked on the fact that Castiel had referred to his new home as our new house. He had clearly meant Dean since Sam had never seen two individuals more in love then his brother and Castiel. It was no surprise that Castiel hadn't moved on yet, it would probably take a while.

"I am ringing to invite you to come and stay with me here for a weekend" Castiel remarked his words coming out in a rush "I promised Dean that if-" his voice trailed off and Sam could hear him swallowing on the other end of the phone. "That I would always keep in contact with you, It's nice here Sam; the house Gabriel is allowing me to stay in during his absence in New York is very spacious though you wouldn't have assumed so from first glance. My sister Anna is currently staying with me but she won't mind the extra company. In fact I feel she would rather welcome it. I haven't been the most attentive host for her and I fear she'll soon be bored." Castiel admitted.

"When exactly are you thinking Cas?" Sam asked.

"Perhaps this weekend" Castiel answered. "I understand if its too short notice for you but I think it would be best for us to see which other sooner rather then later."

Sam remained quiet for a moment, thinking about his upcoming weekend and how he had just planned staying home, eating some junk food and reading his new case files in an attempt to keep his mind occupied with stuff.

"I can make this weekend Cas, it shouldn't be a problem" Sam replied. "You're right; Dean would want us to keep in touch with each other, it would have meant everything to him" Sam stated shakily. "Email me your new address and I'll get onto the airline and get myself a plane ticket sorted. I'll text you what plane I end up on and what time it's due to land" he told Castiel.

"Excellent Sam, I'll email you the address present, take care of yourself, Dean would be most upset if something happened to you" Castiel remarked softly.

"Yeah you too Cas, thanks for calling. See you later"

Sam ended the call and stared down at his mobile, licking at his lips nervously, his head snapping up when his name was called by one of the court assistants. He glanced down at his opened file, closing it and gathering it up in his hand before he followed her from the room his attention fixed on the phone call he just had.

He just hoped the weekend wasn't a disaster.

* * *

Author Note

**Thanks for taking the time to read **


	8. Taxi for one

Everyone gets a second chance

By

Ava Brett

Disclaimer

**None of the character mentioned in the below work of fiction belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.**

Author Note

**Here's the next chapter for you all, this time from Anna's point of view. It's been quite fun writing it because the rest of the story has been quite dark. Anna's full of life in this which makes it a nice change for me. **

**I've never actually written Anna before so I'm hoping I haven't done a terrible job on her.**

**Also fate has taken it out of my hand and it looks like Sam is going to have some romance with Anna… who would have thought huh… certainly not me when I started this story **

Overall Summary

**Castiel is pretty sure he's going crazy. At least he thinks he is, Dean is gone and yet Castiel is hearing his voice and seeing him in his dreams, only now Sam is experiencing the same thing and they can't both be going crazy can they? Castiel and Sam are determined to figure out what is going on before they lose Dean and their sanity for real.**

Chapter Summary

**Anna picks Sam up from the airport…**

Overall Romance

**Castiel Milton/ Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester/Anna Milton**

Chapter Romances

**Mentions of Castiel Milton/Dean Winchester and the beginnings of Sam Winchester/Anna Milton**

* * *

Chapter Eight

Taxi for one

* * *

Anna Milton sighed happily as the wind hit her in the face, she was positive she was going to regret having the roof down on her brother's sport car later when she saw the state of her hair but right now she couldn't find it in her to give a shit over something as unimportant as hair. This was what it meant to be alive to her, being able and willing to take risk and live. She was determined to enjoy each and every moment she was given in this world, the way that Dean had taught her to.

She was on her way to the airport to pick up Dean's younger brother Sam. She had never actually met him before since Sam tended to keep away from any family meals the Milton family had thrown always crying off due to work commitments but she could still picture in her mind the way Dean's face would light up at the mere mention of his brother's name and the way he could talk about the younger man for hours if he was given the chance to.

Anna had always trusted Dean's opinion when it came to people and for Sam to produce such a reaction in his older brother pointed to her that Sam must have been a pretty decent human being, most likely because he had been raised by Dean.

She swallowed past the sudden lump in the throat as she thought back to Dean. Now he had been a character and a half, full of life and fun with a wicked sense of humour which had gelled perfectly with hers and with Gabriel's. The three of them had gotten on like a house on fire from the moment Castiel had introduced them at one of their rare dinner. It had taken her and Gabriel exactly five minutes to know that Dean was their kind of person, intelligent, amusing and not afraid to stand up for what he believed in regardless of who it was who challenged him. Anna was positive that Dean had won them all over that first night; everyone bar Michael and that had only been because the eldest had been in Japan at the time running the family company.

It hadn't taken a genius to know that Dean was exactly what Castiel needed in his life, the same way as it wouldn't have taken a genius longer then a second to see exactly much Dean and Castiel had loved each other, they had lived for each other which made Castiel's despair and heartache all the harder to watch because Anna was beginning to believe that Castiel wouldn't get over what happened with Dean, if Dean was even dead. There was still a chance that he was out there.

Anna adored her youngest brother she really did but he had always been way too serious, even when he was younger he hadn't known how to have fun. That had remained right until the point that the hurricane known as Dean Winchester has swept into his life and taken it over dragging the rest of the Milton family along for the ride always with a wide cheerful grin on his face.

Anna had known from day one that Dean would eventually join the war, it had been in the way his eyes would darken whenever it came up in casual conversation, his body had tensed up, his hand flexing as though he was longing to have a gun in it so he could head over there and fight for his beliefs. He had been a damn fine marine one of the best according to his commanding officer and Anna had been so incredibly proud of him, viewing him not only as a partner in crime but also as another baby brother since in her eyes Castiel and Dean had been married. She had never expected that Dean would die or disappear, not Dean Winchester. How his light could go out leaving them in darkness was beyond her and she simply didn't believe it. Dean was out there somewhere she just knew it. She had to believe it, nothing else made any sense.

Castiel clearly didn't believe Dean was dead either, claiming he was hearing his voice. It worried Anna that the stress and grief were affecting her brother in ways which weren't quite normal and yet Castiel seemed do adamant and calm that it had been Dean's voice he had heard. He hadn't claimed to hear it other then that one time in the supermarket. Surely Castiel would know the sound of his own lover's voice?

She wanted desperate to ask Michael or Raphael what they thought about the whole thing but she didn't dare. Not only would it make them both suspicious that something was going on which would only set off their protective streaks something which was most definitely not needed in this situation but also Castiel would never forgive her or trust her again if she went behind his back and Castiel seriously needed to have someone he could talk to and trust at this time.

Her only option really was to believe Castiel until something happened to prove it otherwise. Castiel believed it with everything he had and Anna's instincts were screaming at her that Castiel was as sane as she was which only left the fact that maybe, just maybe Dean was close by. God she hoped it was true for all their sakes.

She pulled the red convertible into a spot near the entrance of the airport and pressed the button, holding it down until the roof was securely in place before she exited the car and locked it behind her, a grin coming to her face as she slipped a pair of her sunglasses onto her nose.

Trust Gabriel to have a car like that, it was like the man couldn't help himself. He just had to have big flashy toys to show off with. Not that Anna was complaining since she regularly got to drive those big flashy toys.

She entered the cool airport, glancing around at the crowds before she headed to the arrival desks ignoring the look of appreciation she received from the bored passengers who were waiting for their flights. Being in the airport was like being home to Anna, she spent the majority of her time in them waiting for her flights to land so she could board them.

According to Castiel, Sam was flying in from California. Why he couldn't have driven in was beyond her but she wasn't going to complain if it got her out of the house for a few hours.

She headed towards the area where they would come out of and waited impatiently realising with a groan that she had forgotten to make him a sign. She had no idea what he looked like except that he was tall, apparently taller then even Dean had been. She knew that he had been six foot one which was pretty tall for a guy to begin with, so there weren't going to be many guys taller then that she was sure of it. She wondered whether he looked anything like Dean and hoped that he did. That would make her life easier.

The doors opened and she glanced towards them automatically, watching as a stream of people exited through them. Some of them looked tired, some looked wide awake and alert.

Her eyebrow rose as she reached up and took her sunglasses off as a tall man exited through the doors. This could be him. He was very tall and nicely built with light brown hair and hazel eyes which looked around him as though he was searching for someone he didn't know. Taking a risk she raised her hand.

"Sam? Sam Winchester?" The man turned and looked directly at her, his eyes lazily skirting her body up and down before they focused on her face. He changed his direction and began to weave his way through the crowd towards where she stood. She smiled widely as him; he was definitely as good looking as Dean was. Clearly supermodel looks ran in the Winchester family.

"You must be Cas's sister Anna? Dean mentioned you a few times to me. I'm Sam though I'm guessing you already knew that" he said, his voice warm and friendly sounding as he smiled at her and held out his hand. She closed her eyes briefly enjoying Sam's accent, it had the same relaxing quality as Dean's had. It was the sort of voice that a girl could listen to forever and not get bored of hearing. She took the offered hand, hiding her wince at his tight grip, most definitely a Lawyer's handshake.

"Yep that's me, I'm Anna" she replied "I hope you don't mind that I've come to pick you up instead of Cassie. He was throwing a fit about something so I offered to come instead."

"It's fine, I just appreciate anyone coming to get me, I could have easily have gotten a taxi or something"

"Any luggage to collect?" she asked, pleased when he shook his head in response.

"Just this" he said lifting the hand held bag he held in his grip. "I figured that if there was anything I desperately needed while I was here I could just head into town and get it and then chuck it afterwards"

"You're a man after my own heart" she said with a smile at him. "I'm literally just parked outside. It took me about forty five minutes to get here so we should get home just in time to have some lunch. I hope you're hungry because Cassie was getting the pots and pans out just as I left."

"Starving, the plane trip was too short for them to provide any food, I was literally given a drink and that was it" Sam answered her, following her out of the door and into the sunshine. Anna led him over to the car, smiling at his whistle of appreciation.

"Yours?" he asked as he threw his bag into the back seat before he got into the passenger side, stretching out his long legs as much as he could. Anna shook her head as she got into the drivers seat.

"If only" she said wistfully patting the dashboard with a fond expression on her face. "This little beauty belongs to my older brother Gabe. Have you had the pleasure of meeting him yet?" she queried laughing when she caught the look on his face. "I'll take that as a yes then" she said "I'm an air hostess you see so I'm rarely on the ground, when I am though I have several rich, generous brothers who tend to allow me to not only stay at their houses but also ride their cars if I happen to need one. It makes more sense then for me to own them when I'm not around enough to enjoy them. Gabe had the best ones though so I tend to use the m the most. The only car I don't drive is Dean's impala, I… I can't bring myself to drive it, it seems wrong somehow." She said sadly.

"You should use it" Sam said after a pause. "Dean would want his baby to be driven by someone who would appreciate her. She was the second love of his life I think." Anna laughed.

"You mean the third after Cassie and you" Sam remained silent for a moment before he spoke.

"Still, talk about lucky being able to drive a car like this one" Sam said "As for being an air hostess, sounds very glam, better then being a defence lawyer anyway" he remarked causing Anna to laugh.

"Oh you have no idea Sam"

She peered at Sam from the corner of her eyes, her smile growing wider as she took in his profile. Suddenly this holiday was looking up. Not only would she be able to help Castiel out like he clearly needed but now she would be able to flirt with a good looking man.

She looked away to stare out of the window at the passing traffic, her smile become wistful.

Dean would have been proud of her.

* * *

Author Note

**Thanks for taking the time to read **


	9. It's been a while

Everyone gets a second chance

By

Ava Brett

Disclaimer

**None of the character mentioned in the below work of fiction belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.**

Author Note

**Yay! Here is the next chapter; I've been working towards this point for the past eight to nine hours. I have rewritten and reedited the past eight chapters so they are at the best they can be.**

**My hands hurts and I think they might just be about ready to fall off from the effort but it's definitely been worth it.**

**I've think I've earned some sleep tonight that's for.**

**Enjoy**

Overall Summary

**Castiel is pretty sure he's going crazy. At least he thinks he is, Dean is gone and yet Castiel is hearing his voice and seeing him in his dreams, only now Sam is experiencing the same thing and they can't both be going crazy can they? Castiel and Sam are determined to figure out what is going on before they lose Dean and their sanity for real.**

Chapter Summary

**Sam arrives at Castiel's home…**

Overall Romance

**Castiel Milton/ Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester/Anna Milton**

Chapter Romances

**Mentions of Castiel Milton/Dean Winchester and the beginnings of Sam Winchester/Anna Milton**

* * *

Chapter nine

It's been a while

* * *

"Well here we are at casa Milton" Anna announced brightly, hitting the indicator and turning the car off the main road and into a small gravelled driveway before she killed the engine. Sam breathed out, leaning forward in his seat so he could peer at the house through the glass.

The house was surprisingly nice though that didn't shock Sam when he knew it had originally belonged to Gabriel. The man lived for nice things; he would never purchase something which wasn't attractive to look at. Castiel had mentioned when he had given Sam the address that he was house sitting the place for his brother until Gabriel returned from his business trip in New York to reclaim it but Sam couldn't see it. Not only could he not picture Gabriel living in a place like this but he couldn't see Gabriel coming in and throwing his brother out. Not when the brother was in question was Castiel.

No, this house was Castiel's house. It might not have started out that way but it was the way it would end. This house was the house which Castiel should have owned with Dean.

"Thanks for giving me a lift and everything. I appreciate it" Sam remarked turning his attention away from the house and looking towards Anna instead, a smile coming to his face when she turned and smiled at him. She was surprisingly pretty and nothing like what he had thought she would be like, he wasn't exactly sure what he had been expecting when he met her but a tall, willowy red head with a killer smile and gorgeous dark eyes hadn't been it. If anything he had thought she would have looked like a female version of Castiel.

"No thank you Sam Winchester for giving me a chance to take this beauty out of the garage and drive her. A car like this doesn't deserve to be locked away" she remarked causing him to laugh.

"Hey it was my pleasure" he said with another grin at her before he reached out and grasped the door handle, pulling it towards him before he pushed the door open and climbed out, stretching his arm high above his head with a sigh of relief when his back cracked.

The car might have been visually beautiful but it certainly hadn't been designed for anyone over the height of six feet to travel comfortably in. He turned, shutting his door before he reached into the back seat and grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder before he looked back at the house.

"You know the door should be unlocked" Anna called out from the driver's seat. "You might as well go in and say hey to Cassie, don't bother waiting around for me. I'm just gonna drive beauty back to the garage at the back of the house and park her up. As much as she deserves to be looked at I don't like the thought of leaving her so blatantly out in the open"

Sam nodded his head at her.

"Good thinking" he replied, he gave her a small wave before he turned and headed down the pathway towards the front door feeling surprisingly nervous though he didn't know why he did. It wasn't as though he was meeting Castiel for the first time, he had known the older man for seven years, there was absolutely no reason for him to be feeling this way and yet he couldn't shake the feeling.

He tried the front door like Anna has suggested, breathing a sigh of relief when it easily opened allowing him to slip inside. The hallway was long and clean, freshly painted in neutral colours which were clearly designed to place the person entering the house for the first time at ease. That had been Dean's plan, Sam could remember sitting in Dean's and Castiel's old living room, eating Chinese takeaway, relaxing while he watched the talk between the two of them about how they would do their house when they had finally saved enough to buy it. Sam was pretty sure they had forgotten he was there, Dean had, had his head resting in Castiel's lap, his arms moving wildly around while he explained his plan to Castiel who simply sat there, smiling down at him and stroking his hair.

Dean had always wanted the perfect house, a house he could feel excited and proud of to come home to after a mission. A place he could feel was his and a place he and Castiel could escape from the world to. Sam knew without a shadow of a doubt in his head that Dean would have loved this house.

He kicked off his shoes and placed his bag on the table by the front door before he slipped off his coat placing it on the rack. He breathed out and followed the smell of cooking food towards what he presumed was the kitchen.

He pushed open the door almost expecting to see his brother at the stove, cooking and singing along to the radio as he did it but instead his eyes focused on Castiel who was stirring something in a pot with a look of concentration on his face, the kind of expression the older man usually used when he was editing one of his authors manuscripts.

"Hello Cas" he said softly "Long time no see"

Castiel started at the sound of his voice. He turned slowly to Sam and stared at him for a moment, his eyes moving over Sam's face with a watchful look as though he was trying to see whether Sam still looked the same as he had done the last time he had seen him, a smile slowly came across his face, opening his blue eyes.

"Hello Sam" he replied "It has been a while"

For a moment Sam was struck by a mad desire to bridge the gap between them and pull the older man into a hug but he quickly reined the impulse in. Castiel had never been one for shows of affection with anyone who hadn't been Dean; any time he had to endure he would simply deal with it with a look of discomfort on his face. If Sam had hugged him then it would have just been awkward for both of them.

"It's real good to see you Cas" he said instead with a wide grin. "The food smells amazing by the way" Castiel nodded his head, glancing away from Sam to look back towards his cooking with a critical look on his face.

"Dean taught me this recipe" he remarked. "He said once that it was one of your favourites so I thought that today seemed a good time to give it a go, hopefully it will taste as good as it smells"

"If Dean taught you how to do it then it definitely will" he remarked, he breathed out, looking around him. "You know I really like what you've done with the place Cas" he commented.

"Thank you Sam, there's still a lot of work to do on it though" Castiel replied, picking up a spoon from the side and stirring the mixture bubbling on the hob. "There are certain things which I must do which I am not qualified to attempt so I shall ask Gabriel's permission the next time I speak to him to bring someone in to complete our plans. Everything has to be perfect." He stated simply. Sam nodded his head, he highly doubted that there was anything which Castiel could ask from Gabriel which the older man would not be willing to do. It had struck Sam the one time he saw the two brothers together at a party which Castiel had thrown, that the two of them got on extremely well with each other though everything in Sam told them that they shouldn't have been close.

"I'm sure he'll say yes" Sam replied, reaching up and running his hand through his hair nervously, his eyes moving around the room. He kept expecting to see Dean in the room, sitting on one of the chairs and reading the newspaper or standing behind Castiel, his arms wrapped around the other man as he rested his head against his shoulder. It didn't seem right that he wasn't in the room with them. "Your sister seems really nice" he commented after a pause. Castiel glanced over at him thoughtfully before he nodded his head.

"Anna is often the life and soul of any room she is in" he answered. "She and Dean were quite often the pair together especially when it came to playing up at family dinners."

"Talking about me I hope" Anna said cheerfully as she entered the room, flashing a smile at Sam before she headed over to Castiel, kissing him quickly on the cheek before she leaned over the over and breathed in deeply. "I take it back Cassie, is this tastes as good as it smells then you might finally be able to join us over on the table of Miltons who can actually cook. This does mean though that poor Uriel will be left by himself on the bad cook table"

"Uriel makes an extremely nice cheese grilled sandwich" Castiel responded, a slight smile coming to his face at Anna's sound of outrage.

"What? Uriel's never made me one of those before, what makes you so special?"

"Dean and I went over there and gave him a hand with something, he made us one as a thank you" Castiel responded.

"Well there's only one thing for this. I'm going to have to text him and pay him a visit. I need to try one of these grilled sandwiches!" she said before she turned to Sam who was watching them. It was nice to see Castiel interact with his sister; it showed a more laid back side of him which Sam had only witnessed with Dean before. "Would you like me to show you where your room is or would you prefer to continue to stand there looking awkward? Choice is up to you Sam" she asked with a grin.

Sam shrugged, cursing him self mentally when he felt a familiar heat spread across his cheeks which could only mean that he was blushing, a fact which Anna clearly noticed if her sudden wide grin was anything to go by.

"That would be helpful Anna." Castiel remarked, his attention firmly fixed on his meal. "Lunch will be ready in fifteen minutes which will give you time to freshen up if you want to Sam. Anna" he said briefly turning his attention to his sister. "Sam's going to be in the bedroom two doors down from the room you claimed as your own."

"Got it" Anna said before she walked passed him and up to Sam. "Come on then, let's get you settled in" she said heading out of the door. Sam hesitated for a moment looking back at Castiel who spoke without looking at him.

"Go with Anna Sam, we have plenty of time to talk once you've eaten and settled in" he commented. Sam nodded his head before he turned and walked out of the room, quickly catching up with Anna who was waiting for him at the bottom of the staircase.

"Everything ok?" she asked curiously, Sam nodded.

"Yeah it's just strange seeing Cas without Dean with him" he admitted quietly. Anna's face softened as she reached out and placed her hand on Sam's arm, looking up at him sympathetically.

"Hey we all miss him" she said sadly. "But this is the last thing he would have wanted. Dean is like the poster boy for living life to the fullest. Its pretty much what he lived for" she stopped by a close door. "This room is yours for the weekend Sam" she said resting her hand against the wood. "If you need anything, anything at all then just let me know" she remarked with a wink before she turned and headed down the hall, opening a door further down and disappearing into it.

Sam stared at the space where she had disappeared for a moment before he shook his head and entered the room, looking around him. The room was simply done but cosy looking. He dumped his bag on the side, his attention immediately caught by the bedside table. He headed to it and picked up the picture frame, his breath catching in his throat at the suddenly stab of pain to his heart.

The picture was a picture of him and Dean taken a few months before Dean had left to go on his last tour of Afghanistan. They had been at a fourth of July picnic, both of them were grinning widely at the camera with an arm around each other while they held a glass bottle of beet in the other one. They had both had sunglasses on but Castiel had insisted they took them off for the picture so he could capture their eyes.

Sam closed his eyes for a moment before he reopened them, staring down at the picture of his brother with a sharp feeling on longing. God he missed him.

His thumb gently stroked the glass for a moment before he lowered it back to the bedside table and sighed, turning his attention to the door.

He could do this.

* * *

Author Note

**Thanks for reading **


	10. Catch up over lunch

Everyone Gets a Second Chance

By

Ava Brett

Disclaimer

**None of the character mentioned in the below work of fiction belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.**

Author Note

**Here's the next chapter for you! I think.**

**Updates for this story will probably come one every two weeks though there a glimmer of a chance that I might be able to get the next chapter up over the weekend though don't hold me to that because it depends on a few things, including how much writing I can get done today and tomorrow!**

**I have quite a few stories to update as anyone who follows any of my other stories will know **

**The plot for this story is beginning to pick up now. I think this story will probably be between twenty-thirty chapters. There's still a bit to get through! So that's good news if you're reading the story**

**I'm also thinking about doing some one shots from before Dean went missing, I think it might be fun, there's at least two one shots which I could write just from this chapter alone.**

**Thanks for reading though, it's much appreciated. **

Overall Summary

**Castiel is pretty sure he's going crazy. At least he thinks he is, Dean is gone and yet Castiel is hearing his voice and seeing him in his dreams, only now Sam is experiencing the same thing and they can't both be going crazy can they? Castiel and Sam are determined to figure out what is going on before they lose Dean and their sanity for real.**

Chapter Summary

**Lunchtime…**

Overall Romance

**Castiel Milton/ Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester/Anna Milton**

Chapter Romances

**Mentions of Castiel Milton/Dean Winchester and the beginnings of Sam Winchester/Anna ****Milton**

* * *

Chapter Ten

Catch up over lunch

* * *

Sam pushed his empty bowl away from him with a satisfied sigh. The beef stew Castiel had made had been surprisingly tasty, much better then Sam had initially assumed it would be, having sampled some of Castiel's previous attempts at cooking food. The older man had even gone as far as to cook Anna a vegetarian version of it. Sam rubbed his stomach, leaning back in the wooden chair he was seated in before he turned his attention to Castiel, a wide grin coming to his face.

"Cas I've got to hand it to you man that was actually pretty damn tasty" he announced, reaching out and picking up his half full glass and taking a sip of his chilled coke before he placed it back on the table. Castiel glanced at him, a small smile coming to his face in response to Sam's comment.

"Thank you Sam" Castiel said. "I'm glad you enjoy it so much, you certainly inhaled it quickly enough" he pointed out, his smile widening. "There's more in the pot if you would like a second helping of it? If you don't then it will go to waste" he said. Sam bit the inside of his mouth thoughtfully as he considered Castiel's suggestion. He was fairly full but it had been damn tasty. He stared down at his bowl with a considering look before he nodded his head.

"Well I wouldn't want it to go to waste now would I" Sam said with a smile, holding his hand out in a classic stop sign when Castiel placed his spoon in his bowl and made a movement to get to his feet. "Stay where you are Cas, I'm a big boy, I can serve my self. It's not like it's the first time I've done it in your home. I don't need to remind you on what Dean's view of laziness was" he commented "I've enough bruises from the slaps to the back of the head while I was growing on to never forget" A smile came to his face as he thought back to his brother's outraged expression when Sam had been lazy, allowing someone else to serve him when he had been more then capable of serving him self.

"Ok" Castiel said simply after a pause "You know where the stuff is"

"If I don' then I'm pretty positive I can guess" Sam responded, pushing him self to his feet and picking up his bowl before he moved around the large wooden table and headed towards the cooker where the pot filled with the leftovers was currently resting.

"I've got to agree with Sam baby bro, this is actually gorgeous. You've definitely been promoted away from the 'can't cook' table onto the 'can cook' table. Wait until I text the others to let them know, they are going to be so proud of you just like me. This is a day to remember" Anna said, pretended to dab at her eyes with her napkin. Her eyes gleaming with amusement, Sam grinned at her when she glanced over at him, her smile growing in response to his.

For a moment Sam almost felt normal, he glanced to the door expecting Dean to stroll in but it remained stubbornly closed. He swallowed, making him self pay attention to the conversation which was occurring between Castiel and Anna.

"Very amusing Anna" Castiel remarked, rolling his eyes at Anna who merely grinned back before he turned his attention back to the food he was slowly making his way through. Castiel had always been a fairly slow eater stating that he preferred to take his time and enjoy a meal rather then guzzle it down so fast that he had no time to even realise what it was he had even eaten. Sam could remember countless of conversation with his brother which had featured Dean moaning about it to him. Sam wouldn't have been surprised if Castiel had eaten especially slowly when they were in a restaurant knowing how much Dean wanted the meal to be over so he could have his slice of pie.

"Why thank you for noticing just how amusing I am Cassie" Anna remarked, reaching up and hooking some of her hair behind her ear. Sam found him self watching the movement and wondered briefly whether her hair would be as soft to touch as it looked. He swallowed and looked away, nervously licking his lips as he filled the bowl half way, dropping the serving spoon back in the pot and headed back over to the table, aware of Anna watching his movements thought she remained silent, a thoughtful look on her face. He wondered what she was thinking.

"What are your plans for this afternoon Anna?" Castiel asked. Sam watched Anna start, turning to look towards her brother.

"Oh this afternoon? I don't really have plans. I did notice a big shopping mall on the way to the airport so I was thinking of grabbing one of the cars and driving over there. There's one of two things I need to get so I figured today was as good a time as any. Do either of you need me to pick you up anything?" she asked, looking between them both with a questioning look on her face. Sam shook his head, flashing her a quick smile.

"I've got everything I need thanks" he responded, glancing towards Castiel who was still considering Anna's query.

"We need some toilet paper" he answered after a pause. "If you let me grab my wallet before you leave I can give you the money for it" Anna snorted, looking outraged at his comment.

"I think I can afford to treat you to some toilet paper Cassie if that's what you need" she stated bluntly. "What's the point in earning all this money if I can't treat the people I care for occasionally? I was thinking more in the lines of clothes or something for your house. You know something that would let me actually treat you properly. Think of it as a thank you for letting me stay here with you for the next three weeks. If you had said no then I would have had to impose my self on Michael and as much as I love big brother, I wasn't exactly thrilled at the thought, going to stay there when the two monsters are there is enough to turn anyone off going."

"The two monsters?" Sam queried raising an amused eyebrow at her. Anna glanced over at him and grinned at him.

"Don't tell me Dean never told you about Michael's two little monster? His son and daughter? I mean don't get me wrong, I love the pair of them to death but they are a hell of a lot to take in especially if you just want to chill out. All they ever want to do is play and I mean literally from the second you step through that front door to the minute they fall asleep, it's all they want to do and it's incredibly exhausting."

"They aren't quite as bad as you're making them out to be Anna. I've always found Oliver and Sophia to be highly pleasant" Castiel said with a slight smile at Anna as he placed his spoon into his empty bowl. Anna snorted again, the noise sounded unladylike and full of disbelief making Sam grin, somehow it wasn't the sort of noise he expected someone who looked like Anna to make.

"Please, you always got out of the playing thing because you were clever enough to bring Dean with you" she turned to Sam "Michael's wife and children stayed here in America while Michael travelled around the world for our father's company representing him in meetings because he wasn't able to travel anymore, so his wife and kids actually did meet your brother a few times, even though Michael never did which was a shame in my eyes, because I think Michael and Dean would have liked each other if they had been given the chance to meet" she remarked softly before he turned to Castiel again. "It was a stroke of genius on your part to bring Dean with you, the man was the King of making games up on the spot and god knew he was a big kid him self, he never seemed to run out of energy. I started making sure I visited when Dean was there just to get some peace from them." She fell silent, a warm smile coming to her face clearly thinking about the past.

Sam swallowed, shifting awkwardly in his seat.

"Dean always did come up with the best games, he said he had to, to try and keep me entertained when we were younger because I got bored so quickly with the normal conventional stuff most kids did. I think it drove him up the wall especially as I apparently always wanted to play when he was trying to study for a big test" Sam said, shaking his head.

"Yeah he did" Anna replied before she cleared her throat, pushing her self to her feet and heading over to the sink, placing her bowl on the side, clearly about to rinse it out.

"Leave it there Anna" Castiel called after her. "I can do the washing later, you should probably make a move if you want to have a good look around the shopping mall before it closes" Anna glanced back at her brother over her shoulder, her eyes flickering between Castiel and Sam.

"I was hoping that you'd come out with me Cassie, it be good for you to get out of the house even if its just to get some exercise, you haven't left since I've been here" she pointed out softly.

"I have a book to edit and a deadline to meet Anna" Castiel responded flatly. "If it bothers you that much I'll go for a walk later on this afternoon, you can even come with me if it stops you worrying" he said. Anna met Sam's eyes, shaking her head with a look of concern in her eyes.

"What about you Sam? Fancy a drive and a look around the mall?" she asked. For a moment Sam was tempted to join her so he could get the chance to know her better but he found him self shaking his head. There was still something he needed to do.

"Thanks for the offer Anna but I had a late one last night and with the flight I'm pretty shattered" he said. Anna glanced between him and Castiel with a knowing look as she nodded.

"No problem, I'm a big girl, I'm sure I can brave the shopping mall alone god knows its not the first time I've done it" she commented. "If either of you change your mind about wanting something while I'm out then give me a call on my mobile or something and I'll pick it up for you. Castiel, give Sam my mobile number will ya, I best head off, don't do anything which I wouldn't do while I'm away" she said, giving them a wave before she walked out of the door. Castiel stared after her for a moment, his eyes lingering on the door she had just left through before he turned to Castiel, surprised to see that the older man was staring at him with a blank expression on his face.

"If you would like to go with Anna Sam then please feel free to do so, I don't mind." Castiel remarked casually, Sam watched the older man pick up his bowl and head over to the sink, placing it next to the one Anna had abandoned on the side. He turned on the water and rolled up his sleeves.

"I know I can" Sam replied "But to be honest with you Cas I don't think I'm brave enough to go shopping with your sister. I've got the feeling that I would never quite recover from the experience if I went" He grinned when Castiel gave one of his rare laughs, glancing back at Sam over his shoulders.

"Going shopping with Anna certainly isn't the easiest experience that's for sure" he replied "Dean went with her once because she arrived at our door stating she had an extremely important date and needed a man's opinion. I was thankfully busy editing a book which had to be completed by the following day but Dean had been watching a film on the TV and so wasn't quite so lucky. Anna dragged him out with her, ignoring all his protests. When he did eventually stumble through to door he looked traumatised by it all, he never did tell me what had happened to make him look that way."

Sam laughed, soaking up the information eagerly. It was rare to hear Castiel tell a story about Dean, even before Dean had gone missing the older man had tended to keep his stories private as though he was hoarding the memories for him self.

"That definitely sounds like Dean to me" Sam said, standing up and joining Castiel over at the sink. He handed the other man his bowl, glancing around the room and snagging the tea towel from the radiator stuck in the corner.

"He never minded so much if he was going shopping for something for him self or for me. It was only when he was forced to go with other people that he hated it. Saying that though, it did sometimes depend on what they were shopping for. My brother Gabriel arrived one day grabbed Dean and took him car shopping with him because he needed an expert's opinion and decided that Dean fitted that description. Dean could barely get his words out that evening; I'm only surprised that he didn't self combust from excitement on the spot."

Sam nodded fondly.

"Dean always did have a long love affair with cars, I can't remember a time he didn't like them. When we were younger and he was stressed out he would take me with him to look at the car show rooms they had in our area. We never went in, we would just stand outside and he would stare at them and tell me all about them. He literally knew everything there was about them, he would even tell me how they could improve the cars to make sure they ran the best they could." Sam said, licking his lip and sighing as a wave of sadness hit him. He reached out and picked up a mug using the towel to dry it, the simply task felt strangely soothing as did speaking about Dean to someone who knew him almost as well as Sam did. "How have you really been Cas?" Sam found him self asking without thinking, hiding a wince when Castiel's shoulder hunched over defensively at his comment. "I mean I love the house don't get wrong but this move did kinda come out of the blue. It's like you just woke up one day and decided you had enough and were moving away."

"The move was never something which was out of the blue Sam. I have been planning it for a while. I just saw no point in telling anytime about it until I was sure it was something which I could afford to do" Castiel answered shortly, keeping his eyes fixed on the washing up bowl.

"I get you" Sam said "Anyway it was good of Gabriel to let you stay in this house for as long as you want. Dean would have loved it" Sam frowned when a strange expression cover Castiel's face at his words but it was gone before he could identify what it was.

"Yes he will" Castiel remarked quietly. They carried on washing up in silence before Castiel turned to Sam, wiping his hand on a hand towel he had picked up from the side, his eyes searching Sam's carefully as though he was looking for something. "I am glad you're here Sam" he stated "I'm going to my study now to do some editing. With Anna out why don't you head upstairs to the bedroom and have a nap, you look tired and a rest would probably do you good." he suggested, a sudden intent look coming to his eyes. Sam shrugged his shoulder.

"That does sounds a pretty good plan Cas as long as you don't mind, I didn't exactly sleep much last night" Castiel nodded his head.

"I don't mind Sam, I'll wake you up in two hours time if you're not already awake by then" Castiel said. "Sleep well Sam, we can speak again once you've woken up, I'm sure we still have lots to talk about" he stated. He smiled at Sam, his eyes remaining thoughtful before he turned and walked out of the room, leaving Sam alone in it, staring after him with a suspicious look.

Something was definitely up; he just didn't know what it was.

Shaking his head, Sam left the kitchen and headed towards the staircase and his room. He opened the door, stepping inside and closing it behind him. He glanced around him, his eyes focusing on the big double bed which suddenly looked extremely comfortable to him.

Perhaps Castiel was right.

What harm could a simple nap for two hours do to him?

* * *

Author Note

**Thanks for taking the time to read, it's much appreciated! **


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